Re: Are there any natural supplements for depression which work without any bad side effects?

The use of individual natural remedies may not work, because Depression is usually caused by a combination of nutritional deficiencies. In other words the production of serotonin - one of the feel good neurotransmitter- is a complex biochemical matter. A huge combination of nutrients will be required to manufacture the feel good neurotransmitters. Many people overlook the fact that in order for the body to convert tryptophan (found in food) into tryptophan or to manufacture SAM-e, the body requires biological energy as a fuel to activate the biochemical machinery. This is energy is usually derived from carbohydrates in food.

Carbohydrates have to be converted to biological energy - called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - in the mitochondria of brain cells. Without that energy the body is unable to covert one set of molecules into an other set of molecules. Thus when a person suffers from hypoglycemia -or pre-diabetes or diabetes or let us say from a digestive problem - it lacks the energy to convert and manufacture feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin or dopamine.

Now it has been shown that most depressed people are hypoglycemic or have insulin resistance. This means that the person cannot convert glucose - the main source of ATP - into energy. This explains also why depressed people often have problems with obesity and weight gain, because the unabsorbed glucose is left in the body as first glycogen and then converted and stored as fat cells. Thus we find an association between Depression and obesity as both share a common problem: insulin resistance. The same association is found among many AD medications causing obesity as a side effect.

Thus Depression cannot necessarily be treated by the supplementation of individual remedies (natural or pharmaceutical). We need to find the biological causes of depression and treat that.

Nutritional therapy aims at helping the body produce feel good neurotransmitters by addressing the obstacles that prevent the body from manufacturing the right hormones and neuro chemicals. Nutritional therapy is aimed at the individual with a unique nutritional handicap, in unique circumstances and having a unique biochemistry. Just being on a healthy Diet is not sufficient and may be the very problem.

Please read:

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html


Self Help Personal Growth Program at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/self-help_personal_growth.html


and ask to be referred to a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or Nutritional Psychologist if you want to. But before spending money on expensive therapists try to help yourself as much as possible by studying Nutritional Psychology and possible biochemical mechanism that may be responsible for symptoms.
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